Carrie Fisher to speak on mental health during 2017 event
The actor who portrayed Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” films will speak in Oklahoma City in January as part of the Junior League of Oklahoma City’s 10-year focus on health issues in the community.
Carrie Fisher’s scheduled appearance on Jan. 18 is part of the Junior League’s second “Speaker in the City” series. For its inaugural event last year, the organization brought in Jillian Michaels, a fitness trainer, wellness expert, author and life coach.
This year, the Junior League decided to shift its series topic from health and wellness to mental illness by bringing in a speaker who wants to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
“Mental health is a huge issue facing Oklahomans,” Junior League President Sara Sweet said. “One thing we can do is shed light on that and get people to starting having what could potentially be a difficult conversation.”
Actress and writer Fisher made her film debut in “Shampoo” and became a cultural icon playing Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, which opened in 1977 with what is now known as “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.”
Since then, she has starred in movies, including “When Harry Met Sally,” “Hannah and Her Sisters” and “The Blues Brothers.” She also has appeared in television shows, including “Laverne & Shirley,” “Sex and the City” and “30 Rock,” the latter of which earned her an Emmy nomination, according to a news release from the Junior League.
Fisher won the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel for “Postcards From the Edge,” for which she later wrote the screenplay. The Oscar-nominated movie starred Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep.
Fisher spoke on the topic of bipolar disorder at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting in May 2004 in New York City to thousands of psychiatrists. Fisher has spoken and written about her own mental health issues that include a bipolar disorder diagnosis and substance abuse.
Fisher’s personal challenges with these issues and her advocacy for the allocation of government resources to fight mental health problems make her a perfect fit for the “Speaker in the City,” according to the Junior League.
“We’re elated to have her come out this next January,” said organizer Jill Farrand with the Junior League. “It’s something that all of us can take a tidbit from. … I think she’s really going to bring a lot of knowledge to our community.”